News

Apple unveils iPod nano (updated)

By Jeremy Horwitz ● Wednesday, September 7, 2005

At its special event in San Francisco today, Apple introduced the iPod nano, a completely new iPod that’s thinner than a standard #2 pencil and weighs only 1.5 ounces. The iPod mini replacement is available in 2GB ($199) and 4GB ($249) capacities in either white or black designs. The ultra-compact device features a high-resolution color screen, Click Wheel, and offers up to 14 hours of battery life.

“iPod nano is the biggest revolution since the original iPod,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “iPod nano is a full-featured iPod in an impossibly small size, and it’s going to change the rules for the entire portable music market.”

The iPod nano has a standard 30-pin Dock Connector (allowing it to work with many current accessories), is compaible with both Mac and Windows via USB 2.0, and offers the ability to display photos and album art. Because it uses flash memory instead of a tiny hard drive for music storage, it provides completely skip-free playback. The updated iPod software also adds a new stopwatch, world clock and screen lock applications.

The iPod nano is available worldwide immediately through the online Apple Store. Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers will begin receiving shipments on or before this weekend..

iPod nano Accessories

Alongside the new iPod nano, Apple announced several new accessories for the device, which the company calls the “most fashionable and wearable iPod ever.” The new gear includes lanyard headphones ($39), which integrate the headphone cables into the lanyard; armbands in five colors, including gray, pink, blue, red and green ($29 each); a set of silicone “Tubes” in five colors, including pink, purple, blue, green and clear ($29); and dock ($29).

Update

iLounge editors Jeremy Horwitz and Dennis Lloyd have had the opportunity to test the iPod nano and check out all of its upcoming accessories. On the accessories front, most interesting is the fact that the new iPod nano Dock is the first such Apple device to include a “variable line-out” port, which attenuates the standard line-out signal downwards from the iPod’s Click Wheel. The company’s silicone “nano Tubes” provide complete protection for the entire iPod nano save its bottom ports, including thin coverage for the Click Wheel and top Hold switch. The lanyard headphones plug simultaneously into the iPod’s bottom headphone port and Dock Connector, using the Connector solely as a securing mechanism and the headphone port as a means to direct headphone audio. Armbands in all of the various colors are similar in perforated arm design to Incase’s recently reviewed iPod and iPod mini neoprene armbands, except open on their tops.

We’ve also learned that the iPod nano will be the company’s first to include the “Universal Dock Adapter,” a plastic plate which guarantees iPod nano docking compatibility with any accessory designed to include it. Nearly 20 companies are already planning products around the UDA design, which is similar to the plastic plates included with speaker accessories from Altec Lansing, Bose, iHome and JBL, and will eliminate the need for participating companies to design iPod-specific plates in the future. The UDA will come in the nano box alongside a USB-to-Dock Connector cable, headphones, the nano hardware, and iTunes 5 software.

We tested the iPod nano briefly with both stock and high-end Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pro earphones, and found the audio quality of the newest iPod to be similar to existing iPods. Bass performance does not appear to have been markedly improved in the nano, and other audio and feature functionality often requested by iLounge readers (enhanced equalizers, FM tuner, etcetera) has not been included. However, the nano’s new stopwatch and lap timer works well, and features a nice metallic interface similar to the one in Apple’s Mac OS X operating system. The new security screen lock and world clock work well and are also easy to set.

The iPod nano will be able to display photos and transfer them from iTunes. According to Apple representatives, it will not be compatible with Apple’s or other photo connectors for straight-to-nano digital picture transfers, and will not be compatible with voice recorder devices, either. Like the iPod mini, nano is solely intended to be a device for media playback and storage, not creation.

Screen quality on the iPod nano is precisely what you’d expect from Apple: highly visible, with bright white backlighting and good resolution comparable to that used on the full-sized color iPod. Despite its small size, it displays text and photographs legibly, and with ease. It duplicates in all key ways the interface of the color iPod, and plays back all the same genres of audio - audiobooks, podcasts, music - without any problems.

Of the new products introduced today, iPod nano is unquestionably the superior, smarter offering. It takes all of the most popular features from the full-sized color iPod and makes them work in a smaller, cheaper enclosure. It’s especially stunning in that it replicates the look and feel of a full-sized iPod in a matching enclosure, rather than shrinking the iPod mini’s anodized aluminum body, as most expected it to do. The black version is especially slick, with its dark gray Click Wheel, but the white version offers familiar beauty in a small size. We cannot wait to provide our full review.

1

Posted by mojorizin in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 2:58 PM (CDT)

1

I do not want a nano, I want a 20gb color iPod without distortion playing piano solos.

Posted by AlejandroC in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:04 PM (CDT)

1

Cant believe the mini is gone. I found that odd because I read someplace where ther mini was the best selling ipod. I do like the new Nano…nice style. Why not more colors? I am glad that Madonna has finally found out what UZ and many other artists have found out…YOU NEED itunes!

Posted by MJ in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:05 PM (CDT)

1

This is the BIG ONE (well actually little). The absolute perfect christmas iPod just months before the mad shopping rush starts, this one will secure Apple as the dominant force in the mp3 market, I guarantee it. Exactly what we all wanted with the shuffle, now done right, they will sell about 10 million of these babies in less than a year!

Posted by LupinIII in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:05 PM (CDT)

1

i love it. i don’t like how big the action button is though

Posted by willie in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:05 PM (CDT)

1

damn cool. i’m very excited for the next generation full size ipods now. a bit gutted that the mini line up has gone the way of the dodo though. would have much prefered a colour screened mini….
plus, rather annoyyinly, my gf jsut bought an ipod mini, though it was a 6GB so this couldnt replace it anyway.
Roll on next gen full size ipods.
That phone is no where near as amazing as i tcould have been. very let down by it. apple should have designed a phone along with motorola for it. That thing us cumbersome. though exclusive to the US ;) let’s hope europe gets summit a lil better.
Dan x

Posted by Daniel Nicholls in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:08 PM (CDT)

1

wow, big disappointment! i was hoping for a more impressive phone than the E398. and no more mini?!?! i wanted an 8gb flash based mini, not some squashed full size ipod. i like how black’s an option (it’ll match my black 40gb ipod), but i liked the shape and materials used on the mini. why is the headphone port on the bottom!? and why is the center click button so large!?
meh. i’ll be looking at a 6gb mini an apple’s sales site tomorrow.

Posted by mdwsta4 in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:11 PM (CDT)

1

I’m kinda bummed that the mini is gone… I think this nano is pretty cool, but I would rather have a mini with a color screen. I think the mini looks better, plus it was cheaper…
oh well…

Farewell iPod mini. You will be missed.

Posted by ShadowT77 in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:11 PM (CDT)

1

Is it just me, or is “iPod NANO” a really dumb name?

Why couldn’t they just call it a “revised” iPod mini, like what they’ve done with the iMac?

Mebbe it’s just me…

Posted by ahMEmon in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:13 PM (CDT)

1

Great design, but very dissapointing that it has only a max of 4gb. Also when are the wifi ipod’s coming. A dream ipod would be this size with 100gb and wifi.

Posted by DENISE JEFFREY in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:15 PM (CDT)

1

No firewire support, no buy. Both of my PowerBooks (current version) support USB 2.0.

I don’t like USB 2.0. I just bought an iPod Color 60GB for son. Also bought all the FireWire necessities while gritting my teeth. More PCs than Macs, sure. But family and friends have a variety of Macs. Even some Macs only a year or so old didn’t have USB 2.0.

Repeat: no firewire support, no buy. Was thinking of buying a mini and guess I’ll go that route. Cool looking. Fills in a price bracket.

Posted by Glockster in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:15 PM (CDT)

1

Nano looks great. My 20GB suits me fine now, but I love that they keep getting smaller…should be great when I finally do buy a new one.

Still wish Job’s would’ve announced a subscription service.

Posted by Bryce in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:16 PM (CDT)

1

Well, I for one don’t feel the need to buy anything to replace my 40gig 4G iPod.

Jobs has listened to his instinct and stayed away from video and subscriptions…for now.

iTunes 5 = nice.
iTunes phone = suck.

Posted by PushButtonAction in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:22 PM (CDT)

1

Not exactly revolutionary, and pretty darn expensive for the size.

Apple is really going to need to be more innovative if they want to maintain their marketshare.

Posted by wm in East Amherst, NY, USA on September 7, 2005 at 3:23 PM (CDT)